Pictures

Thanks to Christian, Jen, and Anthony for the following pictures. It is awesome to have visual documentation of the race...and how much I actually enjoyed myself! :)

Laura and I signing in for the race.

Coming up the Wall.

Lemon Hill

A Happy Sarah coming up Lemon Hill!

More from the Classic

I guess I should also post that, in addition to what I was experiencing, there was a much more significant and historical event taking place up front in the peloton. Best described by Anne Rock's article in the Examiner and Ina Tuetenberg's quote.

Take THAT all you folks who say stupid things like, "Women's cycling is dead." or "Women don't actually race their bikes, they just pedal around and sprint for the finish."

Welcome to the new era, boys. :)

Liberty Classic

What: Philadelphia’s Liberty Classic – the largest one day professional bike race in the nation.
4 times through a 14.4 mile circuit for a total of 57.6 miles
4 times up the famed Manayunk Wall with a 17% average grade
4 times up Strawberry Mansion Hill and Lemon Hill

When: Sunday, June 7th at 9:10am
# of Riders: 123 starters
# of Teammates: 4 – racing for Salamander on Sunday, I was on the start line with Laura McCaughey, Amity Elliot and Rachel Warner.

Course:
An amazing course, we start on the Ben Franklin Parkway and head towards Logan Circle. Around Logan Circle and back towards the Art Museum, we then head out along Kelly Drive. From Kelly Drive we head into downtown Manayunk along Main Street. A right turn followed by a quick right-left combination takes you to the foot of the Manayunk Wall. 1K later, you reach the summit of the climb and begin the “Fall from the Wall.” Taking a few turns at high speeds, you begin the descent back down Ridge Avenue. Over the overpass back to Kelly Drive, you head towards Strawberry Mansion Hill. Up through the “Diamond,” you descend back down to Kelly Drive only to make a left turn and ascend Lemon Hill. There, the crowd SCREAMS their heads off for anyone coming through on a bike! A FUN descent from Lemon Hill takes you back to Kelly Drive and to the Ben Franklin Parkway, where you start the whole thing over again!

Race:
Well, what can I say? My dream as a cyclist was to start this event. I mean, that alone was an achievement that I never thought I would see, certainly not in less than three years of racing! I had a few simple goals…#1 – to start the race. #2 – to stay upright. #3 – to finish the race.

#1 was easy. I just had to be there at 9:10 and start the wheels spinning. #2 was not so bad either – I just rode very aware and very smart. #3 – well, not so simple!

I actually started out feeling really good. Even at high speeds, I was very comfortable in the pack and was able to move up towards the front end a few times. Of course, I lost some positions on the road into Manayunk – it basically goes from a 4-lane road down to one lane before a sharp left hand turn onto Ridge/Main Street. I tried to follow Kelly Benjamin’s wheel back up to the front as we came down Main Street and managed to position myself towards the middle of the field as we hit the Wall. Unfortunately, if I was going to survive the attack up the Wall, I would have had to be ON THE FRONT! I started at the bottom on the wheel of Tina Pic of all people. Basically, I was holding the rear wheel of my cycling icon. Amazing. I managed to keep her just in front of me for half of the climb. Then, we hit the steep part. She busted up the Wall, and I got a bit caught behind a slower rider. Still, I reached the summit in a nice group. Unfortunately, that nice group was gapped off of the main field. By the time we made it down the Fall, we were chasing. We nearly caught the field before the ride up Strawberry Mansion, but a stopped line of caravan cars caused us to lose momentum and lose ground on the field. By the time we topped the hill, they were essentially gone.

I found myself in a group of 6…working VERY hard to stay within the time limit and finish the race. We pacelined our BUTTS off - keeping a high cadence and a high speed at all times. But with Highroad pushing the pace of the peloton, we really didn’t have a snowball’s chance in Hades of keeping our losses to a minimum. Still, we managed to complete 3+ laps of the course before we were pulled as we crossed the finish line on lap 3.

So, in tears, I made my way back to two other teammates whose bodies wouldn’t let them continue on with the race either. We had one girl left in the field – Rachel – and she was powering her way to an attempt at a Top 3 finish in the Under 23 Category. She ended up finishing 4th in that competition, but made a great showing with a fantastic breakaway from the field that lasted 4 miles! She was eventually caught going up the wall – but what an incredible attack she made!

Though I was clearly upset at getting pulled from the race (which was the ONLY way I was not going to finish – even if I had to walk my bike up the daggon Wall!) – I had an incredible experience. My group was the last group to get pulled from the race – a few groups behind us got pulled at the end of two laps. I was pretty excited to have lasted that long and to have made such a great effort to race with the group that I had around me. I was lucky to have Sonja Evers with me, and she and I really worked hard to keep the paceline moving at a good pace.

I am so grateful to Pat and Jame for asking me to be a part of this team and letting me gain this experience. I hope that they, or someone else, will take a chance on me again next year.

And, most importantly, I am SO THANKFUL to my husband, my Sturdy Girl teammates, and my friends and family for their support this weekend. EVERYWHERE I went on that race course, I heard my name being yelled out. And, I do mean everywhere. It was such an amazing outpouring of love and support, it was probably part of what brought tears to my eyes at the end of my race. And to hear people tell me how proud they were…I honestly can’t tell you how amazing that felt. That’s such a powerful word.

So…there you have it. The biggest race of my life. I stood on the start line next to Ina Teutenberg, Mara Abbot, Tina Pic, Judith Arndt, and so many other women that I have admired. I managed to ride WITH them for a while and follow them for a while longer. Next year, if I get the chance, I’m going to pummel that Wall and cross that finish line at the end of lap 4.

And to all of the other local gals that raced this – Lenore, Swopey, Pam, Lorraine, Nonnie, Bianca, Andrea, Kristine, Diane, Christine, Sonja, Amanda, Peanut, and Erica…WAY TO GO!!!! It was AWESOME being on the start line with you ladies. I’m very proud of all of you.

Bike Porn

Just sharing a little bike porn with y'all - blog readers. Hopefully, these will help me FLY up and SWOOP down the Wall on Sunday! :)

Be Careful Out There...

Here's a message from a fellow Sturdy Girl who had a rather frightening encounter on our local bike path. For the life of me, I can't understand people whose lives revolve around violence for the pure, unadulterated sake of violence.

"Tonight I was out on the trail, by myself, coming back from Phoenixville. At around 7:30 pm I was cruising through Norristown & as I approached the area where the basketball courts are, I notice 6 or 7 guys all wearing red t-shirts & black jeans hanging out on the side of the trail. They were looking conspicuously nonchalant & by the time I realized something was wrong, it was too late to turn around & get up enough speed in the other direction.

I decided that no matter what, they weren't getting me off of my bike so I hammered as fast as I could. As I approached they spread out across the trail. No one else was in sight. I was going 22 mph when I went between 2 of the guys and the one to my right who had his back to me swung around & punched me in the face. It is with extreme gratitude to the universe that I can say that with blood streaming down my face & amazing pain, I was able to stay on my bike & not even slow down until I got to the train station where I called 911. Police came. Medics cleaned up my face & I rode home.

I can't even think about what would have happened if they had gotten me off my bike. People have always cautioned about being on that trail, alone, on off hours & though my hard head may have saved me tonight, I get that I should have paid more attention. Hopefully it can serve as a cautionary tale to others."

Proof

Here's the visual proof that I worked hard at Bethlehem! Thanks to Anne Racioppi for the photos! Those are some great shots, dahling! :)

I think that Diane and I had a little gap on the field here and were trying to hold it. We got swallowed up eventually. Pushing the pace at the front of the field. From the look of some faces (including mine) I was doing a pretty good job.

Nonnie and Diane with the winning gap. Too much work done to go with them...sad face. :(

Pedal, Pedal, Pedal!

It was a weekend of racing for me! This was actually the first weekend in which I got in two full races (I don't think I can count the debacle of Wilmington as a race!). I did the Bethlehem Crit on Saturday and the New Jersey Time Trial Championships on Sunday. I thought (as did George) that I need to work on my TT before the Giro and Fitchburg. Plus, it can't hurt in getting ready for Philly this weekend (HOLY CRAP, PHILLY IS THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!).

Anywho...here's how things went.

Saturday, May 30th
What: The New Bethlehem Crit
Where: Bethlehem, PA
18 laps of a .89 mile course to complete "15 miles" - it actually ends up being quite a bit less than that, but whatever!
Category: Age groups! 30+ and 45+ with a separate Cat 4.
# of Starters: 24 on the line (not including Cat 4s who started 30 seconds behind us)
# of Sturdies: 6, including Sara B in the Cat 4 race - Jody, Sands, Jen Rhodes, Judi and Me

Course: Really fun course with 4 corners and one small rise. Turn 2 is always a bit dangerous due to rough road surface and off-camber downhill leading into it.

Race: Having held on for dear life in the NRC races, I was excited to have the chance to work on some tactics! I had a goal of finishing well and trying to put some damage on the field in the process. The second part worked - first part, not so much! ;)

I spent a lot of time working in this race. I attacked, I chased like a bandit, I pushed the pace at the front, and I generally just worked to make the race as interesting as possible. At one point, I got away with Nonnie with about 5 seconds over the field - but they simply would NOT let me go. Should I take that as a compliment??

At one point, Diane Grim took off. Unlike the determination to keep my butt planted in the field, she was let go. I knew that was a big mistake as Diane is a STRONG rider and completely capable of TT-ing her way to the finish. I went to the front and pulled her back to within an arm's reach before my legs began to putter out. When I pulled off to let the next person chase, she didn't. Boom - Diane pulled away again. Man, that sucked. A few laps later, Nonnie jumped and bridged up to Diane. I was in a bad position at that time, trying to conserve and couldn't get up to go along.

I continued to try to save up for the finish, but a sketchy corner by someone in front of me on the 3rd turn of the last lap forced me to hit the brakes, slip back from the front, and lose my legs. I finished in 8th - not too bad, but not where I wanted to be at the line. Still, I worked my BUTT off, practiced my jump, and felt like I raced really well even if I didn't finish exactly where I had hoped!

My teammates, on the other hand, ROCKED it OUT! Jody pulled in a strong 7th place finish, with Sands just behind. Jen Rhodes did some good work at the front and she finished 10th behind me with Judi finishing 12th.

Sunday was another big race day for me, as I went out to the Pineys for my first 40K Time Trial! Nothing like jumping into your first 25 mile Time trial at the State Championships! :)

What: NJ State Time Trial Championships
Where: Chatsworth, NJ (Pine Barren Country)
What: 40 K on a beautiful stretch of 563. Rolling terrain.
Category: multiple categories, I did the 30+
# of starters: In total, there were 32 in state riders, and 10 women competeing from out of state. (2 people in my age group category - me and Teresa DiSessa from Riptide)

Race: In typical fashion, as we got ready on the line, it began to drizzle. The drizzle turned into a veritable downpour on the road. It was CRAZY! Fortunately, the rain was NOT accompanied by wind, so it was wet and chilly but not windy.

I had a bunch of problems to start with, but all of them were part of my learning curve on this race. Everyone kept warning me not to blow up, not to go out too hard, etc. I took that advice a bit too literally and ended up doing the whole race too conservatively. On top of that, my new computer was NOT working, apparently. When I hit the turn around, it said that I had gone 14 miles. So, I was cautious - I thought the race was only 25, looks like it's going to be 28. On the way back in, I kept an eye on the odometer, thinking that with 2 miles to go, I would start ramping it up. Then I saw the 1K to go sign. WTF??????? Stupid computer! :(

Still - considering the rain and everything else, I really enjoyed my first "real" TT. I really liked the meditative aspect of it. Just me, the road, my legs, cadence, etc.

Anyway...in the end, I was pretty excited to find that I had won my category - but not by much! Teresa is a fantastic TT-ist and I only got her by about 15 seconds! Overall in the state, I was 3rd behind Betty and Beth Bonilla. Those out of state girls were amazing, and on the day, I was 8th overall. With a time of 1:02:50 and an average speed of 23.87 mph in my first race, I know what I have to do to go a lot faster next time. Maybe (just maybe), I'll catch the woman who finished first overall - I mean, she only did it in 58:21!!! HOLY poop! That's Olympic. Literally.

Still, I was pretty happy with my gold medal and 6-pack of beer! :) Can't wait to try another one. Honey, can I look into buying a TT bike now? :)

I Love This

This photo just totally sums up my family, I think. It's a picture of my dad and his siblings. They apparently tried to take a few serious pictures, but this is the one that ended up being my favorite. Come on, Auntie and Uncles, you know you can't be serious! HA!

Quality Wall Time

I went out for a little spin yesterday and decided to stop in and see my good pal "The Wall." Yep, we needed to be reaquainted a bit before it sadistically rips my legs off next weekend during the Liberty Classic.

I still can barely believe that I am going to be on the start line for that race. I have to thank Nicky and Tina for their incredible words of wisdom at Somerville. I was lucky to get to chat with both of them for a while after the women's race and they both gave me some great advice about the course. While some of what they said made basic logical sense (take it one lap at a time - do NOT think about anything past the lap you're on), other things were more experience based suggestions (getting up front before the bridge so that you're near the front for the wall). So, to Nicky and Tina...THANK YOU! I hope that I can follow through with the advice you gave and do well for my team, my family, my friends, and myself!

Asleep Standing Up

I do not know what my problem was yesterday. By the time I got done with work, I could barely keep my eyes open. I felt like a zombie...trying desperately to pull together enough energy to hop on my bike for a workout (not encouraged by the 58 degree, rainy weather outside). Eventually, I managed to get out and do some intervals (weak ones), but I rode, and that was the most important part.

Today is another "beautiful" day - rainy, but not quite as cold. Unlike yesterday, I am actually feeling like a human being. That's a bonus. I'm hoping that I can suck up the cruddy weather and hit "The Wall" today. I need to get over there for some repeats, so I guess today is as good a day as any!

Appropriate Fortunes

One of my favorite places to eat out is a local Sushi joint in Collingswood called Chow's. This place is great. They have the cutest waitress, Yen, who is there pretty much every day. They have GREAT sushi and great prices, making it a perfect spot for a quiet dinner.

I have had pretty good luck eating there before races - carb-loading via sushi rolls works for me.

I went there the night before my win at Mount Joy and the night before my first pro race....these were the fortunes that I got upon leaving on those two nights. I kept both of them because I thought they were so appropriate. I hope to add to this list over time...

"Don't wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it."
- The night before Mount Joy. Keep in mind, I needed ONE POINT to upgrade to Cat 2 at that race. Yep - I'd say I swam out to it...with a motor attached to my rear!

"Toil awhile...endure awhile....believe always...and never turn back."
- The night before Wilmington. Yep - another pretty accurate one.

BOOOO HISSSSSS!

Well, this just sucks.

Not much more I can say about that.

Training Week

Deciding that the weekend was a little too hectic to do any "big" races, I spent the week working on my training. I focused on a few specific things that I wanted to work on and got busy.

I hit the Drives on Tuesday night to work on speed and staying with the pack. It was going pretty well until a stopped car in front of the museum created a small gap in the field and I couldn't catch back on. I happily cruised back to the "B" group and spent the rest of the evening rocking it out with them. All in all, I got a good evening in on the bike and got to hang with some of the great local gals and my teammate Dana! :) YEAH!

I spent Wednesday being a big nerd and going to listen to a talk by Alexander Nemerov at PAFA with one of my mentors, Susanna Gold. Man, that guy is brilliant. He has the most poetic way of writing academically I have ever heard and his ideas consistently break the barrier of academic processes and limitations. He essentially makes all of us young scholars realize that we can do ANYTHING with the material that we desire, as long as we can convince others that we are right.

Thursday was the weekly Greentree visit. I'm always a little concerned at Greentree because it can get a bit sketchy with some of the Thursday night World Champions on the road. Still, it's such a great opportunity to work on pack-riding and cornering skills (and a high pace) that I HAVE to do it. I've been feeling good on the bike lately, so I was confident that I could have a nice evening on the road.

Off the start, I ended up in a break with a female Verducci rider and a few men. We stayed away for a few laps and then moved back into the field. I missed one lap due to some funky breathing stuff that was going on, but once I moved back in to the pack, I had an EXCELLENT night. I focused on my pack riding and actually felt really comfortable when I was blocked in and cornering. The pace (24 mph average) felt EASY, and I was just grooving to the sound of the wheels on the pavement. Excellent. At one point, I was sticking on a GREAT wheel of a Verducci gal only to discover later that it was Theresa Cliff-Ryan. No wonder it was so solid, so graceful, so easy to follow. She, by the way, may be one of the sweetest women I have ever met. SOOO nice.

A HUGE thank you goes out to Alaina. She and I were chatting before the ride:
A: "Last week, I kept trying to get you to move up."
Me: "Yeah, I know...that's the thing I'm really trying to work on."
A: "Well, I'm pretty good at it, so stay with me. If you're not moving up, you're moving back."
Me: "No kidding!"

So, I did. Every time I saw Alaina in front of me, I thought..."I need to be with her" and moved forward. Apparently, she was doing the same thing, so it worked out perfectly. We both had a great, safe ride, and enjoyed ourselves.

Today's training goal - hills, baby....hills.

So Big!

This is Quin saying, "look how big I am, Mom!"

SOOOO big.

Kelly Bike Jam - My Pics!

I'm looking around for shots of the Womens Pro 1/2/3 race from Kelly Bike Jam. If anyone knows who was out there shooting, please let me know!! THANKS!

In the meantime, I will entertain y'all will some pics that I took of the Sturdies and some of my other favorite girls racing in the 3/4 field. It was great to watch these ladies race, and Robin's attack before the final lap was well-timed and beautifully executed!

To my Sturdy Girls - great racing that day! Sally, Jen, Sands, Brams, Jody, Jenna, and Julie...you ladies rocked it!

Jen Rhodes and Sally at the start

Sally moving up in the field

Talk about a "Game Face" - go Brams!

Jenna rocking it out!

Sturdy Girl train coming through!

Sally pushing the pace up the hill.

Sally and the Gursk...nice.

The CycleLife Gals...what a great bunch. Sara, Chicken, Jen May, Robin, and Jennifer Cheng.

Kelley and the Gursk...mentally preparing to whoop-butt!

Kelly Bike Jam

NRC Race #2

What: Kelly Bike Jam
Where: Baltimore, MD
Category: Pro 1/2/3

Course: 20 miles of a 1.1 mile loop...It's pretty straightforward. Starting just below the round island in the "middle" of the photo below...you make a right hand turn around the island and another right onto the course. You follow the road around to the roundabout at the bottom right. There, you turn left around the island and then another VERY sharp left to get back on the road and head back to the start finish. It's a slight rise up to the start/finish line.

The course is hated by many and loved by few. Me? I actually didn't like it when I raced it as a Cat 3 last year. This year? I LOVED it! :) I had a BLAST out there!

Race: As will be the usual when I report about these races, it was FAST. All said and done, we averaged 24 mph for the 20 miles. It was not the same kind of fast as Wilmington, although we were easily hitting 30+ mph on the long stretch toward the 2nd roundabout.

I felt good, sitting in the bottom 3rd of the field. There was one, big, unfortunate crash about 9 laps in. A touch of wheels sent riders sprawling across the entire road just in front of me. I managed to stay upright and get around the crash, but it was bad enough that it caused a neutralization of the field and one rider to be sent to the nearest hospital. Worse yet, the rider sent off was Jen Rasmusson - one of my Philly teammates. We haven't gotten an update yet, but word post-race was a broken collarbone.

I stayed with the field for the entire race today...even when it was blisteringly fast just after the crash. I eeked out a respectable 35th place finish out of 45 who did finish and 78 that started. Not too shabby!

VeloCycle Rocks!

Thanks to Anthony for these great shots from Wilmington. Looks like I was doing pretty well, eh? Too bad those girls RIPPED my bloody legs off! hehe!

So, THAT is what I look like when I'm not wearing pink. Hmmmmm.....

Take a look at the link for shots of my other Philly teammates - Laura is in the Salamander kit, Rachel and Amity are wearing Juice Plus (pink and black). It was SO great racing with these girls over the weekend. Thank you for your support, words of wisdom, and awesome cycling skills. Can't WAIT for Philly!

Tough day at Wilmington...that's ok though...I made up for it at Kelly Bike Jam - report to follow!

84 Went In...

30 came out the other side.

The race today was brutal. That's the only way that I can describe it. It started out "hella fast" and never seemed to slow down (at least, not in the 7 miles I raced!). Unfortunately, my first NRC race ended with my first EVER DNF. I refuse to count my flat-out at LP my first year - I wasn't included on the results list, therefore I wasn't there ;)!

I'm disappointed, of course. However, I got pulled with about 40 other women, so I can't feel completely like crap. I was in a race, it just wasn't THE race! hehe! The course itself was fast and really fun! It had a great 3rd turn that led into this narrow uphill section - very sweet.

Big Kudos go out to Lenore, who stayed in there and finished 28th! Way to go! And, big kudos to my Salamander teammates Amity and Loz, who also made it to the final lap in style.

I was not convinced about racing Kelly Bike Jam this morning. After today's pathetic 7 lap torture, I'm definitely hitting the start line tomorrow! See you ladies in Baltimore.

Anthony was there today taking pictures...so I will post those as soon as I can.

Wilmington Grand Prix

I about a half hour, I will be leaving for my first NRC race. Today is the Wilmington Grand Prix in Wilmington, Delaware. It's a 25 mile, four-corner crit in downtown Wilmington complete with 84 Pro1/2 women. Wow. The good news is that a lot of these women are riders that I know, have raced against numerous times, and feel comfortable with. The bad news is that the Pro portion of the field includes Alison Powers, Laura van Gilder, Cath Cheatley, Erica Allar, and others. Oh, crap. :)

I'm trying to keep my nerves in check and just stay calm. I'm an odd mixture of excited, anxious, nervous, scared crapless, and really calm. How I can be all of those things at once without exploding is not clear to me. But, I do know one thing...the Magic 8 Ball told me that I was going to have a "good" race today. So...what the heck am I worried about, right?!

See you on the other side!

I heart Hart's Lane

I went out in search of a good hill repeat road this morning. A few of my standards are currently under construction, so I needed to find an appropriate substitute without having to ride out 20 miles to get to it.

So, I went out to Manayunk just to make sure that the Wall was still torn up. Yep - worse than last week. I'll have to take my camera next time to record the disaster. Good news? It will be resurfaced and smoothy-smooth for the Pro Race next month!

So, then I went out to Barren Hill Road - hoping that the construction that was underway last week might be ended. Um, nope. Still all disheveled. I chatted with one of the construction guys who said that it would likely be this way for several more weeks (if not closer to a month). Eek!

So, I was moseying back down the path when I decided to try another road. Not really knowing what I was getting myself into, I started up what looked like a mild, bumpy road. Um, no...not mild. In fact, it hit a double digit grade pretty quickly and for a decent stretch and then continued to hit me with mild grades, a longer false flat section, and other goodies. It was FANTASTIC! After getting home and checking Google satellite maps, I figured out it was Hart's Road. Very nice road for repeats. If you look closely on the satellite maps over the next couple of weeks, you will see a small pink dot running up and down that road on a regular basis! hehe, well, not really, but you know what I mean!

Habitat for Humanity

No...I didn't go out building houses. It was a race!

What a day to be out on the bike! It was a gorgeous day out on the road and we had an excellent group of women to race with!

Race: Habitat for Humanity Circuit Race
Category: 1/2/3
Distance: 25 miles - 11 laps of the 2.25 mile circuit
Number of Riders: 26 pre-regged, 27 on the line
Number of Sturideis: 3 - Sally, Sands, and me (Jenna was the sole Sturdy in the Cat 4 race!)

Course: This is a great course with a few technical parts. Neutral start leads to an off-camber left turn (typically taken at high speeds), the next left turn is easy and fast and leads into the first big technical part - a left turn onto a NARROW bridge that fits about 2 bikes. From there, the "hilly" portion of the race begins. One false flat leads to a climb with a sharp left turn at the top leading to a false flat to the finish.

Thanks to Carlos for the great shot of Kristy and me coming around the final turn to the finish!

Race: The field was very tough, which made the race very tough. I was feeling a tad under the weather (and spent the remainder of the day after the race asleep on the couch with a 100+ degree fever!), but managed to pull myself together for the race.

Lots of attacks from Zaveta, The Swope-ster, and a few others kept the rest of the field on their toes and chasing. I did a bit more work than I would have liked keeping things under control, but the aggressive nature of the race made it well worth it. The field split up during the race, and we ended up with about 19 women staying together to the finish.

I was pretty happy with an 8th place finish at the end of the day against a strong field, Sally was 20th, and Sands, unfortunately, pulled herself due to asthma issues.

Still...it was a really fun day on the road. Next on the docket? The Wilmington Grand Prix. This will be my first NRC race and I will be decked out in Salamander Racing colors. It's going to be really, really weird to not be wearing pink!

Happy Anniversary!

To my dear husband of 5 years...

Happy Anniversary!

May we have MANY, MANY more years like the ones just past.

:)

What is THAT?!

Oh, my goodness...there is this strange yellow orb in the sky today. It's sending this beautiful glowing light down to the ground creating deep shadows and sparkling reflections in the pools of water left over from our 9 day stint of rainy weather. Yes, folks...I believe that it is...THE SUN!!!!

HOORAY!

Well, at least for a few hours! It's supposed to be back to thunderstorms tonight. :P

5 days

It has now been raining, drizzly, or otherwise cruddy for 5 days. 5 days! And it's not expected to let up for another 3! Come ON!! I don't live in Seattle, people! Could we get some sunshine up in here?

Seriously, I am tired of heading out to ride my bike in the rain, or sitting inside on a trainer to avoid the rain. I'm in dire need of some major climbing workouts, which are not particularly easy to do on a trainer in my bike room. Ugh!

So, I am making a plea to Apollo, Helios, Garuda, Freyr, Inti, Lugh, and (of course) Re and Sol, to get the sun out there shining SOON!!!!

PLEASE???

Aaron's Race

So, I'm hoping that my big brother will email me a race report so that I can post it here on my blog. In the meantime, let me just tell you that he is a cycling stud! He decided, after visiting last year and coming to two races with me, that he wanted to try cycling. This was in July or August!

Anyway...I sent him my old bike, Athena...and told him to get going. He hopped on the bike for one race late last season, and finished (even though he got lapped by the field). Apparently, he was hooked.

Within a few months, he had found a team (Racing Greyhounds), found some great guys to train and race with, and was on his way.

He has been doing a bunch of spring crit series races, and has even taken the win or the podium on a few. Ironically (and not unlike his sister), he tried to do a quick upgrade to Cat 4 due to his experiences with the training crits and doing a training session with them, but was denied. So, in a showing not unlike my own, he hit the ground running in his first road race of the season.

And this race is no picnic. It's called the Cone Azalia race and is widely known as the Paris-Roubaix of the North. It's got several sections of unpaved roads, lots of dirt and potholes, and decent sized fields.

So, how did he do in Road Race #1? The sucker podiumed! He took 2nd place on the day, winning the field sprint (one rider was off the front for most of the race!)!!!

Here he is...taking his podium spot. And, yes...I do make that very same face when I am rushing the line!!!

Photos courtesy of Chicky at SmugMug!

Way to go, AARON!

Liberty Classic

Thanks to all of you who got out there and purchased a poster, or a sticker, or simply donated money to the Pro Race. Great news - it's going to happen!

This morning, I got even more great news....I received an email from Pat Marzi letting us know that the team has been ACCEPTED to race at the Liberty Classic this year!

WOW, WOW, WOW! I can hardly believe it. I actually broke into tears this morning when talking to my mom because I am so thrilled about this opportunity.

Josh asked me what my goals for the race were...here's our chat conversation:

me: Goal #1 - to start it

Josh: done

me: Goal #2 - to not crash myself or anyone else out

Josh: smart

me: Goal #3 - to race smart and strong and for the team

Goal #4 - finish
Josh: hmm.. And I wondered (silly me) if you have clear objectives....

All I can say is...I hope to hear some of you screaming my name from Lemon Hill and the top of the Wall this year.

I've gotta get out and ride now. :)

Charlie McFatty

I can't believe I forgot to post a photo of this guy in my earlier post.

Please allow me to introduce you to Charlie McFatty. At least, that's what we named this guy. He is an adorable chocolate lab who came waddling over to us when we had turned around and stopped after making a wrong turn. He went from girl to girl, bike to bike, saying hello.

When we started to ride away, lil' Charlie McFatty decided to come along. This guy ran alongside our bikes for about 2 miles (I'm still worried about him not getting back home!). there were times when he reached speeds of about 22 or 23 mph. He was having the time of his life...jowels bouncing, tongue lagging, perfectly content dog-like face.

Thanks for joining us, Charlie McFatty...I hope that your country dog instincts got you back home ok!

Living the Lucky Life

I figured that I would let some photos speak about the happy days of my life. I am so lucky. So blessed to have people in my life that are truly fantastic. Each time I get out on my bike with this group of women, I realize how amazing it is that Dana and Sally (and George) brought us all together. Amazing, lucky me.

Just keep this in mind, folks!

I could do this EVERY morning...forever.

Two of my FAVORITE people. Sara and my camp roomie Jen!

Duchess, Akida, Julie, Barb, Beth, Jody, Sara, Candace, Me, Jenna, Thunder
Sands, Rhodes, Bonni, Doreen, Sally and Dana

The most beautiful people to ever don pink. And, yes, that statement includes those that couldn't be with us at camp and George (even when he won't wear pink!).

Best Husband EVER!

So, I had a feeling that he was up to something. My hubby, I mean. I was going to be away for a few days at camp, and our 5 year anniversary is right around the corner. So, I thought that he might try to do something to surprise me when I got home. I never thought that he would do THIS though.

I pulled into the driveway on Sunday to a brand new, raised flowerbed in the front of the house. I have been wanting this done for a few years now, but it just always seems like we run out of time in the Spring and don't get it finished. This year, he suckered his brother and a few friends into helping him, and he built me my wall! (Thanks Matt, Calz, and Chip!) I can't WAIT to put a slew of beautiful plants and flowers in it! :) I'm so happy!



Sorry the pics are a little weird, I took them tonight! hehe!

EMBRACE THE RACE!

Just a little note to ask for your help with a little something. Allow me to explain...

When I started racing my bike in 2007, I had a crazy dream. My dream was to upgrade to a Category 2 racer and compete in the Liberty Classic Pro Race in Philadelphia (the biggest one-day professional bike race in the country). At the time, this seemed impossible, or at least impossibly far away. But then, a crazy thing happened. By the end of 2007, I had upgraded to a Category 3 racer and by the start of 2009, I had made my way to Category 2. Well...half the battle was over. Now, there was just the little problem of having to be on an elite team to even START the race!

That's when fate stepped in...she goes by the name of Pat Marzi out here in Pennsylvania. Pat invited me to race for an elite composite team this year called Salamander Racing. One of the races that the team will be doing is the Liberty Classic. WOW! My dream is on the verge of being realized.

Now, there is just one thing standing in my way...money. See...with the economic budget crisis in Philadelphia, the city has asked the race promoter to put up $500,000 to pay the police overtime and clean up! Ouch (and I'm not talking the Pro team here)! So, they have asked (and I am asking) for your help. If you have a spare couple of bucks, PLEASE visit the website below and purchase a poster, donate some dollars, or otherwise support this incredible city-wide event. And you will be helping me achieve something I never thought possible, a position at the start line on June 7th.

click here to:
EMBRACE THE RACE

Thanks for reading! Sorry to be asking y'all for money - but I REALLY want to do this race!!!!! The deadline for the decision on whether or not to cancel the race is Tuesday, April 28th, so please donate as soon as you can, if you can!

THANKS!!!!

One More Thing!

Yeah - waaaay too many posts in one day (not to mention one half hour!)...but, I think this might be an important one.

I received a very long-awaited email this morning. On Monday morning (around 8:30 am), I submitted my upgrade request to USA Cycling. Since the last two submissions got responses within 24 hours, I was disappointed when a full 36 hours went by with no response.

I practiced patience this week....checking my email constantly to see if there was any response from the upgrade coordinator, only to find nothing. Needless to say, I was THRILLED when I woke up this morning and checked my email and found the following message:

"Sarah, I have approved your request to upgrade to a Cat 2. You will need to send me a self addressed stamped envelope so I can send you a Cat 2 sticker for your 2009 license. Congratulations!"

Hooray! Finally! I am a Cat 2. Oh, crap.... :)

Because they were requested!

Per request...a few photos of the kids. ;)

Jake

Cuey and Tuga

Little Quin

Quin and Elwood

Lower Providence

The Lower Providence crit. Ugh - and I thought I had bad karma at Mount Joy. That's nothing compared to the debacle that has been Lower Providence for me the past couple of years.

Notoriously fast, this simple four-corner crit has never been a favorite of mine. Nonetheless, I get out there and bust my brains each year at this one. It's great training, and it gets me in the mood for the rest of the season, to be honest. Still, I never perform exactly how I would like to. Still learning, I guess. I hope that I always am still learning. Keeps you sharp and keeps things interesting!

Race: Lower Providence Crit
Distance: 20 miles, 20 laps
Category Pro1/2/3
Number in the Field: about 30 on the start line
Number of Sturdies: 2 - me and Jen Sands

Course: Four right hand turns in an industrial park. A little rise on one or two of the sides of the square and a headwind into the finish line. Essentially, it is flat and fast.

Race: With several strong squads (Zaveta, Cadence, Human Zoom, and Verducci), the race was destined to end up exactly the way it did. The Human Zoom girls really made it a race, shooting one after another off the front. With the rest of the pack rarely letting them go for long, it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. Laura van Gilder launched her attack. Directly on her wheel, Colleen Hayduk. Everyone else looked up and went, hmmm...that's nice. Whether their legs had turned to mush (like mine) or whether they didn't think they could go with them, everyone let them off the front. Thus, effectively ending a race for the win and turning our pack into a field racing for 3rd. I struggled, as usual, to keep my position in the field...heading up to the front only to be swallowed back up and sent to the back. Like I said, still learning and honing my crit skills.

Eventually, we made it around to the penultimate lap - as we came through, I jumped onto Lorraine Lipfert's wheel with Michelle Bote. Unfortunately, the group behind us was not willing to let us get away and we were gobbled up just after turn 1 of the final lap. Needless to say, I was tired at that point. I got pushed off my line on turn 3, which really screwed me up, and despite a valiant struggle to the finish line, I ended up WAY down in the ranks. So far down that I didn't even stick around for results! hehe! Anyway...it was a good training day. We averaged 24 mph for the race, and I learned that I still have so much to learn and so much training to do.

On a bad note - there was a SERIOUS crash in the Cat 4 race that sent one of our girls to the hospital in a helicopter Medi-Vac, two others to the hospital on their own, and one left with ice on her hand for the next 2 hours.

On a good note - our Medi-Vac-ed Sturdy (Sarah Mc) has already been released, is doing better, and will recover from semi-serious injuries that included a laceration above her left eye and a possible orbital fracture. The others also have checked in saying that though they are scratched and bruised, they are not broken.

With LP officially behind us, it's time to look toward one of the ultimate highlights of the year - TRAINING CAMP!!!! Shenandoah Valley - here we come!

Crazy Week and Movie Night!

I am nearly done with one of the craziest and busiest weeks I have experienced in a LOOONG time. And, I assure you, I will be quite happy when it is over!

I've been on campus for 12 hours several days this week (and it looks like this will continue into next week). I've been getting home so exhausted that I tend to fall into bed and be asleep by 9pm. Amazingly, I have still managed to get on my bike this week and keep my training going. Still more impressive considering the two days of constant rain that occurred Tuesday and Wednesday!

Phew....

Now...I'm focusing on the weekend ahead. First on the list....Movie Night!

Friday is our annual Spring Movie Night. We're planning to watch Death to Smoochy - an utterly hilarious dark comedy about the corruption in children's television programming. hehe! Soooo funny.

Sunday is the Lower Providence Crit. Not usually where I do my best work, but I'm looking for good luck there after the last two years!

Year #1 - Cat 4 race - got a flat on lap 5. Attempted to change the wheel with one in the wheel pit only to find that the wheel had a 10 speed cassette and my bike was a 9. Oops.

Year #2 - Cat 1/2/3 race - first real race as a 3. First real race with the "big girls" - which included Erica Allar of Aaron's Pro Team, Laura McCaughey of Aussie track fame and Juice Plus Pro Team, and a few others. Yikees. Not only was I racing with Pros for the first time, but there was a torrential downpour about 5 minutes before our start. Luckily, it stopped before we started our race, but it left the roads streaming with rivers of running water. It was actually pretty fun. Nonetheless, I was a bit too timid, and certainly not very comfortable out there. I finished 18th out of the 24 that completed the race. Not my best performance.

Interestingly, there are a few courses out there that I just can't seem to conquer and at which I always have a less than laudable performance...LP is certainly one of them. Nonetheless, I plan to find my legs there this weekend and wipe out the memory of the last two years! :)

Mount Joy Recap

So...the weather guys are always SOOOO wrong, eh? They said that we would have some rain this morning, that would be passing through our area and heading out before noon. Um, yeah...it's 3:30 and still raining out. So, what does this mean? It means that we raced Mount Joy this morning in a frigid downpour! brrrrrr....I'm still trying to fully warm my bones! How did it go, you ask? Read on, my friends...read on.

Race: Mount Joy Road Race
Field: Cat 3/4 field with 30 pre-regged and 22 on the line to start
Number of Sturdies: 2 - Sarah and Dana lined up in the rain to kick some BEEE-hind

Course: As per my recap from two years ago...it's a great course. A few rolling hills make it challenging and one big, steep climb tends to rip one's legs off. :) I actually found that while the hill was pretty much true to my memory, it FELT much different this year! THANKFULLY!

Race: I had it in my head that I needed to podium today. The whole issue with upgrade points simply HAD to be put to rest today, and while I didn't want that to take over my race, I knew that my goal meant two things: I had to ride safe and I had to ride selfish. I needed to make sure that I worked hard (but not too hard), that I was in the right place at the right time, and that I could hold my own on the hill and not get bogged down.

There were a few teams in the field, and those teams had AT LEAST one strong individual rider...CycleLife with Christina (Chicken) Briseno, Cadence with Alaina Gurski, and Zaveta with Lenore Pipes and Emily MacKay. Essentially, this meant that I needed to make sure to go with ANYTHING these ladies threw at me. And it didn't take long to happen! Enter 1st time up the big climb.

Lenore was the first one over the top and with amazing bike handling skills, she took the turn just after the top of the climb in beautiful form. CRAP - she was off the front. I took the turn and charged after her, bringing a few girls over the gap with me. Turns out, there were 4 of us (Lenore, Me, Christina, and her teammate Jennifer May. We were soon joined by Emily MacKay and Rachel Hunter of Cadence. Good. Nice strong group of 6. We stayed out for the remainder of the race. We worked well together - keeping the pace high most of the time, and making sure to keep the gap between us and the chase group.

The middle two laps were essentially uneventful. Lap 2 we worked on keeping our break and lap three was your basic lap three! Lap four started out with a few little game tactics...no one really wanting to be on the front. I quietly snuck to the back of the pack and tried to see what was going to happen...at least I knew WHERE it was going to happen. Top of the climb - that sweet turn. Sure enough - I was 3rd up to the top of the climb behind Lenore and Jennifer and when we hit the turn Lenore launched again at that point. Again, I went with her, this time with only Jennifer on my wheel. We had left everyone else coming up the climb.

We weaved our way through the pretty part of the course and headed toward the finish. I was in the lead (which I knew was tricky), but I was feeling REALLY good. With Lenore on my wheel though, I was anything but overconfident! We came to the final bend, which lead to a rise over a highway overpass and a sprint down the other side to the finish. I actually downshifted going up the overpass and then just put my head down and pushed it. I saw Lenore's wheel come up along my left side, I downshifted and pushed harder and it disappeared. I didn't look back, I just stared at that finish line and ended up crossing in 1st! HOORAY!!!!!

Since it was raining...there are no pics of me actually racing. But, here is a shot of the results taken with Dana's camera phone! :)

It was such a great race. It was amazing to have raced with some really talented women today, and I am really thankful that they are around. They make everything so much fun!

Dana finished a short ways behind me in 8th and the Sturdies enjoyed an AWESOME celebration at the little General Store down the road. Dried Mangoes for $2 and a giant bag of cinnamon sticks for $1.45! WOO HOO! I love Lancaster county!

Tofu

Pretty funny story about some woman's undying love for Tofu and the evils of the DMV!

ILVTOFU

Mt. Joy Recall

This weekend, I am heading out to race at Mount Joy. Mount Joy was the first race I EVER did. It was...well...hell on earth for me. It was mid-April - I had really only been training for about 2 months (if that), and I was totally unprepared for the massive hill on the back half of the course. Needless to say, I felt a lot like this on the bike:


Yes, that's right. I did NOT feel like this:
I felt like this:

Here is my race report from that day...just so I can enjoy how far I've come after I kick that hill's butt this weekend!!! :)

Race Date, Event and Description: April 14th, 2007 Mt. Joy Road Race in Lancaster Co., PA. Four times around 5.7 mile loop. Rolling hills throughout most of the course, with one whopper in the middle. Chilly temps for this morning, but not too bad. A bit of a wind along on side in particular, but a great winding back half protected from the wind, and LOTS of fun!

Number of Sturdy Girls: 5 Sturdies raced and finished the Day: Dana, Sally, Mary, Sarah and Bonnie. 34 women were registered for the race, unsure at this time how many actually rode. Official results put Dana in 4th place, Mary in 5th… Sally, Sarah, and Bonnie all finished but are awaiting posting online to see our places! BTW - they never showed because the promoter stopped placing people who were flushed out the back! :)

Describe what was fun and/or challenging about the event: The course, for me at least, was challenging. There was a bit of a headwind on the first quarter coming across the cornfields that was tough when you were on your own, but certainly doable. The consistent rollers over most of the course were great; most of the time you came down one hill and just popped up and over the next one. There were a few that were decent climbs that you had to work on, but most were fun and fast. Toward the back half of the course, there were lots of great twists and turns to keep you on your feet and having fun. The big hill at roughly the middle of the course was really a tough one. It was steep and long with a little flat spot toward the top with another little finishing bump! This one served as a nice way to break up the pack! It kicked my behind on lap two! I wasn’t sure (to be honest) if I was going to make it up that one two more times, but I did and we all did! With the road going over the highway at the finish, it gave you one final up and down to kick to the finish. According to Dana and Mary, the final sprint started very early and was tough, but they both rocked it out to finish in the Top Five!

Describe what the team/individual learned from the race:

1. We were REALLY lucky to have nice weather for the race. Considering the wind Friday night and the weather forecast for Sunday, we squeezed a great day out of the middle.
2. Previewing the course helps! I heard rumors of the “steep hill” on the back half of the course, but was not really ready for it. I’m not sure if seeing it ahead of time would have helped or just worried me more, but I would have liked to know exactly what “steep” meant!
3. Keep your brain in the race! Just because you’ve been dropped from the group does NOT mean that you are out of the race! You’ve just decided to make it a Time Trial! :)
4. Be aggressive! Don’t let those gals push you around…hold your spot and hold your ground. Take it when you see the open slot and don’t look back!

BRING ON THE JOY, BABY!

Philly 2-Day Became a One Day

Having felt a little under the weather the few days leading up to the 2-Day, I decided after Saturday to take Sunday a little easier than expected. In other words, I decided not to race both days. It was a hard decision that I fought with myself over for most of the day today, but I do think that it was best in the end. I’m still not feeling tops, and I want to be on my game for next weekend’s return to the infamous Mount Joy. More to follow on that.

So, for the Saturday race…here is my report.

Race: Philly 2-Day, Diamond Circuit
Field: 52 pre-regged, George counted at least 55 on the line, including Nonnie Howard and Laura Van Gilder
Number of Sturdies: 5 of us lined up at the start: Dana, Sarah, Jody, and 1st-timers Jenna and Sara

Course: Flat and fast, the course ran around our “home field” of the Diamond. See map. The weather was CRAZY! Intense winds with 50 mph gusts that came across the course just past the start/finish line and into turn #1. It seriously was about to blow people off their bikes at a few points!

Race: It started out at a high tempo…with a few ladies pushing the pace at the front of the pack. There were a few teams there in decent numbers (Cadence, Human Zoom, and Zaveta) who were determined to flush some folks out the back. For a few minutes, I was afraid that was going to include me! I was not feeling too great during the first few laps. I felt stiff, cold, and sore. Fortunately, I got my mind back into the game after hanging on to the back end for a few laps and pulled myself up into the middle of the field. I managed to hold on pretty well to my position for the majority of the race after I got my brain in the game. There were constant attacks off the front, but none of them had any staying power. I bridged up to one break and we held off the field for a bit…unfortunately, it was just too hard to stay away, so we got swallowed back up into the field. What started out as a group of nearly 55 on the line, ended with a number somewhere around 20. It was a strong field, heading into the final sprint. I held my own pretty well, although it was not my best sprint…and ended up 11th. Dana also stayed with the pack the whole time and came in 18th. I’m not sure about results for the Cat 4 ladies, but I will post ‘em when I know ‘em!

Thanks to Josh and Jen for the sweet photo! :)

Unfortunately, the pack was a little green around the edges and there were some unfortunate events, including Jenna being run off the road and onto the grassy shoulder at one point (as later happened to Kelley Bethoney and Victoria English from Cadence) and Jody was sent to the tarmac in a crash in the 7th lap or so. All are fine and all will ride to kick butt another day, but it certainly was no fun to see pink on the ground behind me! :(

See photos of the race here: http://tinyurl.com/c2td8h

What was learned on the day:

• We are going to have a great season in pink. The veterans are already whetting their palettes against some big names like Van Gilder and Howard, and the “new” girls are really getting into the grind and showing their guts on the course.


• Comfort in the pack is something that is 75% skill and 25% brains. Keep your brain in the game. Stay alert and be strong. Hold your position and conserve when you can.


• Jody’s word for the day…”Bone Density” and a quick thank you for her having a very high bone density!


• And a HUGE thanks to Cyclismo (aka Cadence) for putting on a great race!!

52

52 Women Pre-Regged for the race tomorrow.

Um...that's all I have to say about that.

24 Hours of Vivian!

A full 24 hours after bringing Vivian home from the dealership, and I am certain that we made the perfect decision about our new car. She is everything I wanted and more. Honestly, I know that I sound cheesy, but she really is great. It feels good to be driving a car that I like so much. I hope that they are fixing Esther up at the dealer and that someone will buy her and continue to love her like we did. But, anyway...here she is...official photos of Vivian.

Check out her sexy backside - I wish my rump was this cute! ;)

I was coming home from training tonight (with Bubba stored safely in the back hatch - perfect bike car!) and I was driving on the highway. Suddenly, I realized that Vivian was purring along at just over 80 mph! Holy Crap! If I were in Esther, she would have been dropping her transmission. Needless to say, I slowed down - but what a great feeling.

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Best App EVER!

I can't wait to get this set up on my Gmail account. It will make responding to students, colleagues, family, and friends so much easier. Ahh....I can feel the lazy stupidity flowing through my body already! ;)

GMail Autopilot

Happy April Fool's!!!!